Former Strathclyde University professor Alex Duffy is to stand trial accused of 21 sex offences against five women, including students. The 68-year-old ex-Professor of Engineering faces allegations spanning 2008 to 2020, with many incidents allegedly occurring at the university.
Charges and Allegations
Duffy, of Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, denied the charges through his legal team at a High Court hearing in Glasgow. The allegations include the rape of two women. Court documents detail that Duffy repeatedly made sexual remarks to the first woman and was aggressive towards her. Similar comments were allegedly made to a second woman, who prosecutors claim he put in “fear and alarm” with his behaviour.
Prosecutors allege Duffy placed “deadlines” on academic work and told one woman that a “penalty for non-compliance” was performing “various sexual acts.” He is also accused of forcing her to take nude photos and videos of herself. Duffy allegedly raped this woman at the Premier Inn hotel in Glasgow’s West George Street between October 2013 and December 2014, pressuring her into sex with him and another woman while blindfolded.
Further Incidents
A similar attack is alleged to have occurred at a property in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in 2017. Duffy is accused of raping the woman again at a flat in Glasgow’s Dennistoun area in January 2020, including showing up uninvited, groping her, and demanding a sex act. He is also accused of communicating indecently with a third woman and threatening to have her removed from her course, with similar demands for sexual acts tied to assessment deadlines.
Other charges allege Duffy raped and attempted to rape a woman in a university building, a flat near Glasgow city centre, and in a car in Fife. Court papers claim he pestered the final two women with lewd comments and talk of sex, and attempted to blackmail one.
University Response and Trial
Duffy no longer works at Strathclyde University. A university spokesman said: “We are aware of the allegations facing a former member of staff. As this is a live case, it would not be appropriate for the University to comment, beyond acknowledging that we are cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities.” Duffy remains on bail. His trial is scheduled for August 2027 and is expected to last around 12 days.
